Building foundation



De@ 27, 1932- w. `F. JOY ET AL l BUILDING FOUNDATION Filed May 29, 1929 Patented Dec. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATEN' OFFHCE WILFORD P. JOY, F WEBSTER GROVES, JOSEPH .l-AMEND, OF ULTIIVERSI'I?v CITY, AND EDWARD FRAUENFELDER, OF 'VEBSTEE GROVES, IvSSOUR, ASSIGNORS TO ST. LOUIS DUNTILE COMPANY, A CORPORATIGN 0F VTISSG'UBI BUILDING FOUNDATION Application filed May 29,

This invention relates generally to means for draining surface water from ground adjacent to foundations of buildings, and more specifically to an improved means for preventing seepage of water into basements of buildings through foundations and basement floors, the predominant object of the invention being to provide an improved means forming part of the foundation structure of a building whereby a definite channel which leads to a source of disposition is provided for drainage water which prior to this invention frequently seeped into the basements of buildings and caused a great amount of damage and inconvenience.

It is common knowledge that a very great amount of annoyance has been caused to owners and occupants of homes and other buildings, prior to this invention, by water seeping through foundations and basement floors. This situation results from `the fact that surface water resulting from rain, flows down inclines of the surface of the ground on which the buildings are supported and accumulates at the base portions of the foundations. The foundations, in many cases are formed of concrete and the floors of the basement are frequently constructed of cement, hence, when the volume of accumulated water is sufficient to provide the required pressure, said water will be forced through crevices and cracks in the foundation and basement iioors and will enter the basements of the buildings. It is obvious that if means were provided at the base of the foundations of the buildings to drain off the water as it accumulated at the foundations, the seepage of said water into the basements of the buildings would be prevented, and it is the purpose of this invention 40 to provide such drainage at foundations,

whereby the annoyance incident to this problem is entirely eliminated.

Briefly stated our invention contemplates the formation of a water passageway or chan- 45 nel in the foundation of a building preferably in a horizontal plane adjacent to the base of the foundation. The surface water, because of the. presence of openings leading thereto and because of the porous nature of the con- 50 crete of which'the foundations are constructed,

1929. Serial No. 366,877.

is induced to enter this passageway or channel and is conducted therefrom along a definite course to suitably postioned drains located preferably within the buildings. The surface water, therefore, is not permitted to accumulate but is drawn off as it appears at the foundation hence there will be no seepage of water into the basement whereby a dry and healthful basement is provided.

Figure l is a lfragmentary view partly in plan and partly in section showing a foundation constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a corner portion of the foundation illustrated in Figure l.

Figure 3 'is a perspective view of one of the blocks of which the foundation shown in Figure l is constructed.

Figure l is another of the blocks employed to build the foundation illustrated in Figure 1. y

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 5 5 of Figure 1.

Figure G illustrates a modified form of the invention.

Figure 7 illustrates another modiflcation of the invention.

ln the drawing wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration merely, one embodiment of the invention A. designates a foundation constructed of a plurality of blocks B which preferably are formed of concrete or like material. A foundation structure which is built of concrete blocks usually comprises a plurality of horizontal layers or courses of blocks and preferably, though not necessarily our invent-ionrelates to the lowermost or footing course as it is at the base of the foundation that drain water usually accumulates. le have, therefore, illustrated in Figure l the footing course of a concrete block formation, each of the blocks 1 forming said course of the foundation comprising an elongated body, rectangular in cross-section. Each of the blocks lis provided with an opening' 2 formed longitudinally therethrough from end to end thereof which constitutes the block a hollow shell as shown in Figures l and 2. The blocks l forming the walls of the footing course of the foundation A are laid with respect to each other so the longitudinal openings 2 formed in the various blocks are in communication with each other whereby common passageways or channels 3 are provided which extend longitudinally of the respective walls of the foundation.

At each corner of the foundation A, we employ a special corner block 4 which in addition to being provided with a longitudinal opening formed therethrough is provided also with an aperture 5 formed transversely through the wall of the block. The aperture 5 is preferably elongated in shape as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the longer di mension of` said aperture being approximately of the sameextent as the height of the longitudinal opening 2 through the block, and said aperture provides means of communication between said longitudinalropening and the exterior of the block. Also at one end of the special corner. block 4, the longitudinal opening 2 formed therethrough is closed by a screen 6 preferably in the form of a perforated plate which is set into the concrete of-which the block isformed.

vIn layingthe Yblocks of the footing course of a foundation, one of the special corner blocks 4 is positioned at one end of each wall ofthe foundation. This special corner block of each wall of the foundation is kassociated with the end block l of-another wall of the foundation, which combines with the first mentioned foundation wall to provide an angle of the foundation, so as to cause the aperture 5 ofthe special block 4 to communicate with the longitudinal opening 2 formed through said end block 1 as shownin Figures 1 and 2, and as a result of this arrangement the water passageway or channel 3 in'the foundation wall of which the special corner block 4 forms a part is placed in communication with the water passageway or channel 3 in the foundation wall of whichthe end block l forms a part. This arrangement is followed at each corner of the footingcourse ofthe foundation and as a result thereof the water passageways or channels 8 in all ofthe walls of the footing course of the foundation are placed in communication with each other to provide a continuous water passageway or channel which extends throughout said footing course of the foundation. In building the footing course of a foundation the corner blocks 4 are arranged sothe screened ends of the longitudinal openings 2` formed through said blocks are located at the exposed ends of said blocks as shown in Figures land 2.

Forming a part of the footing course of the foundation A is a block 7 (Figures 1 and 4) which includes as a part thereof a nipple 8. The nipple 8 extends entirely through the wall of the block so that its hollow interior communicates with the longitudinal opening 2 within the block and an externally screwthreaded portion of said nipple extends outwardly from said block. Coupled to the screw-threaded end portion of the nipple 8 by means of a suitable coupling device 9 is a pipe l0, said pipe at its endopposite to the end thereof which communicates ywith nipple 8 being in communication of a suitable drain such as a bell trap 11.

In laying the blocks of whichthe footing course of a foundation is comprised cement or other binding material is employed between adjacent blocks only at three sides of each thereof.v That is to say, the workman laying the blocks will place the binder material at opposite ends of the blocks and adjacent to the top, bottom-and inner edges of theends of the block. In other words, there will be no binder materialfbetween adjacent blocks at the outer face of the footing course of the foundation hence water which accumulates at r the outer face of the footing course of the foundation may pass freely through the joints between adjacent blocks into the water passageway or channel within said footing course. Also water which accumulates at the footing course of a foundation constructed in accordance with this invention may pass through the screened ends of the openings in the corner blocks 4 and thus find its way into the water passageway or channel within the footing course, the screens 6 serving to prevent the entrance of large particles of foreign matter. Due to the fact that the water passageway or channel within the footing course of a foundation is continuous any water` which passes into said passageway either through the joints between adjacent blocks or through-the screened ends of the longitudinal openings through the corner blocks 4, will be drained from said passageway through the pipe l0 and will be conducted to the drain l1 which is preferably located within the building of which the foundation forms a part.

It is obvious therefore that a drainage system is provided which is capable of providing Y for draining off all the water which, in the absence of oursystem, would accumulate at the base of the foundation, hence seepage of water into the basement of a building through 1 the foundation and basement floor is prevented.

Instead of providing the block 7 with a nipple which extends from the side of the block as shown in Figures 1 and 4, we may,

if desired, arrange the nipple 8 at the bot-r tom of the block as shown in Figure 6 and couple a pipe 10 to said nipple for conducting water from the block with which the nipple 8- is associated to the drain.

Also if found .to be desirable we may omit the apertures 5 in the corner blocks 4 so the waterpassageways 3 in the various walls of the footing course of the foundation are out of communication with eachother and employ a separate pipe 12 for conducting water from the water passageways 3 in the various foundation walls to the dra-in l1.

lVhile we have illustrated a precise form of block, we do not wish to be limited to the use of such a block, as any block which is provided with a water passageway or channel may be employed in constructing a foundation in accordance with our invention.

`We claim:

l. A building foundation comprising a plurality of foundation units including a pair of units arranged at an angle with respect to each other to provide a corner of the foundation, each of said units being provided with a passageway extended longitudinally therethrough which serves to produce a part of a drainage channel, and one of said angularly arranged units being provided with a passageway formed transversely through the wall thereof to provide means of communication between the longitudinal passageway therein and the longitudinal passageway in the associated angular unit, and a cover for the passageway formed through one of said angular units, said cover being provided with perforations providing definitely located passageways leading from the outer face of the foundation to said drainage channel.

2. A building foundation comprised of a plurality of foundation units of substantially like shape and dimensions including a pair of units arranged at an angle with respect to each other to provide a corner of the foundation, each of said units being provided with a passageway extended therethrough which serves to produce a part of a drainage cha-nnel and one of said angularly arranged units being provided with a connecting passageway formed through an otherwise imperforate wall thereof to provide means of communication between the first mentioned passageway of the unit and the corresponding passageway in the associated angular unit, said foundation units having substantially plane upper faces on which other units comprising the foundation may be placed.

3. A building foundation comprised of a plurality of foundation units of substantially like shape and dimensions including a pair of units arranged at an angle with respect to each other to provide a corner of the foundation, each of said units being provided with a passageway extended longitudinally therethrough which serves to produce a part of a drainage channel, and one of said angularly arranged units being provided with a passageway formed transversely through an otherwise imperforate wall thereof to provide means of communication between the longitudinal passageway therein and the longitudinal passageway in the associated angular unit, said foundation units having substantially plane upper faces on which other units comprising the foundation may be placed.

4l. A building foundation comprised of a plurality of concrete units of substantially like shape and dimensions including a pair of units arranged at an angle with respect to each other to provide a corner of the foundation, each of said units being provided with a passageway extended longitudinally therethrough which serves to produce a part of a drainage channel, and one of said angularly arranged units being provided with a passageway formed transversely through an otherwise iinperforate wall thereof to provide means of communication between the longitudinal passageway therein and the longitudinal passageway in the associated angular unit, said transverse passageway being of substantially the same height as the longitudinal passageways formed through the units, said foundation units having substantially plane upper faces on which other units comprising the foundation may be placed.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

VILFORD P. JOY. JOSEPH A. AMEND. EDWARD FRAUENFELDER. 

